The Shadow Child
by Dreamsong
Summary: It is assumed by some that once Galbatorix's daughter had an egg she would either join her father or help the Varden defeat him, but who says she has to pick a side? FIC HAS BEEN PUT ON HOLD. MANY APOLOGIES. FOR FURTHER INFO SEE MY PROFILE.
1. Prologue

Prolog

_"You want to hear my story?" I ask, surprised._

_He nods._

_I can't help it. I laugh. It is a harsh sound._

_"_My_ story? What could someone like _you_ possibly want to hear _my_ story for? To invade my privacy and pry out of me the secrets of my life? To pretend to know me better than any other? Or is it to feel your superiority over me?"_

_My voice is bitter, even to my own ears, and I know I have already given something away, but I look him in the eye and do not give him a hint that anything has been let slip. He looks back and replies quietly._

_"No. That is not why I ask."_

_"Then do tell me, O Mighty One," I reply, mockingly._

_He takes a breath and says slowly, as though chewing every word before speaking it,_

_"I simply thought that after everything we have been through, you would like to talk about it all to someone who might better understand what you have been through."_

_My sharp bark of scoffing laughter interupts him._

_"_You_?" I snap, nearly shouting, "_You_ understand what _I _have been through?"_

_I am suddenly angry beyond belief and I jump up, my face terrible to see. He scrambles up and backs away, fearful at my abrupt mood change. I advance on him as I continue, my voice rising with anger and frusteration._

_"You have_ no_ idea what I have been through you arrogant fool! You naive child! You cannot imagine the pains I have taken to get where I am now! You have no clue what I suffered and what I put up with because of _YOU_! You can never understand what I went through to restrain myself, to grit my teeth and look the other way, when _you_ came along! By all the gods that never existed! You stupid boy! Get out of my site! NOW!"_

_My shriek sends him running as though every demon from the underwworlds were after him. I run to the door and look after him, murder in my eyes. Fury boiling in me, I slam the door and throw myself across the room to hit the far wall so hard that it shakes. I scream and beat my fists on the solid, unforgiving wood until they are raw and bruised an awful blue-black. Finally, a tear slips down my right cheek and I slide to the floor and dissolve into tears._

_Time passes. The fit fades to an end and I crawl to sit in the window seat. Wiping my eyes, I look out over the forest and curse my foul temperment. It would be nice to tell someone my story... just not _him_._

_Had anyone but him worked up the courage to ask, I might have thought about it a bit, but I would have told them in the end. However, after _that_ little episode, no one would want to disturb me, much less ask about my story._

_My story..._

_I lean my head against the window sill with a sigh. I am startled by a soft knock on my door._

_"Enter," I call in elvish._

_The door opens and admits a more welcome face. I give him a small smile and pull my legs up to my chest to make room for him on the window seat. He gently closes the door and joins me._

_He lets the silence hang for a moment and then asks quietly,_

_"So?"_

_I catch his look and know what he means. I shrug and look out the window._

_"He asked about your life then."_

_It is not a question. I nod._

_He chuckles. "I knew it would blow up in his face, but he would not listen to me when I tried to tell him."_

_"He should have known better," I mutter. "He knows I hate him. What posessed him to believe I would tell him anything?"_

_He shrugs. "Come to think of it, you never told me either."_

_"I have never told any one."_

_He smiles. "Then maybe you should."_

_I tilt my head and look at him. He waits expectantly. I look out the window again and think._

_My story..._

_When I speak, my voice is low..._


	2. The First Seven Years

Chapter 1

I suppose the best place to start any story is at the beginning. That would be the logical way in any case. As with many, the beginning of my story starts with my parents.

I was kept ignorant of who my parents were for the first seven years of my life and I never questioned the fact.

My mother's name I never knew, and I never asked. It always seemed an unimportant detail. After her death, no one ever referred to her by name. It was always, 'your mother', or 'Aislinn's mother' or even, on occasion by an unkind kitchen hand or a maid too full of herself, 'the king's whore'.

Yes, the king. My father. Galbatorix. All three are one in the same.

Of course, they only took to referring to her as such after I had been removed from the kitchens.

My mother caught Galbatorix's eye and he soon bedded her. The relationship lasted nearly four months, until my mother discovered she was pregnant. Galbatorix treated her well enough and nine months later she had the baby.

A little girl. Me.

However, it was not an easy birthing for my mother. It weakened her severely due to blood loss and other complications which never were explained to me. After I was born, she hung on to life for another two days.

And then she died.

From what I understand, her body was sent back to whatever relations were left to her, and I was put in the care of Ruby, the head cook, who had a son who was two years old, and a husband who had died in the service of Galbatorix. My mother's relatives never heard of my existence and were told she died of a weak heart.

So I grew up as any other servant's child. I was happy, curious, and inquisitive, running wild with my older brother Jasper around the castle.

By the time I was six and Jasper was eight, we knew every in and out of the castle, from our rainy day expeditions when we were trapped inside.

When my seventh birthday came, Ruby made a big deal of it. She made a cake and invited all the servants and guards to a party in the courtyard behind the kitchen at sunset.

"Excited about the party?" Ruby asked me as I ran into the kitchen.

"Yes, but... why are we having it?"

"For your birthday, you goose!" replied Ruby jovially.

"Oh, alright. But..."

"Yes?"

"Why did we not have one last year then? And why do I get one but Jasper does not?"

She paused in her task, looking at me for a moment, and sighed. With a sad smile, she leaned over and tugged playfully on one of my wild auburn curls.

"You look so much like your mother. Do not worry about it. The party will be great fun. Run along and play now."

I ran off to find Jasper, my question forgotten.

Ruby was right. The party was great fun. There were games and food, along with all manner of music, from instruments to vocals. It ran late into the night and I must have fallen asleep at some point because I woke up in my bed, where I had most certainly not fallen asleep.

Ruby bustled into my room moments after I woke, all in a fuss. She helped me into my nicest dress, and when I asked her why, all she would say was,

"The king wants to see you."

Needless to say I was shocked. The king? I could not imagine why he would want to see me. As servants, it was our duty to not be seen unless needed and because of this, whenever King Galbatorix was near, we cleared out as quick as we could. And now this important man wanted to see me? The daughter of a servant?

"I do not understand," I told her as she led me out of the room.

Ruby hushed me and hurried on. She seemed tense and that put me even more on edge than before. What was wrong? I just could not understand it.

I was quickly ushered into the throne room and I stood, terrified, before the King. At first he did not seem to see me and I swallowed hard, hoping that there had been a mistake and that he would let me leave or Ruby would come and get me, apologizing for the mix up. However, I had no such luck.

Just as I was about to start backing toward the door, he looked up and his gaze pierced me. I stood riveted to the stone floor, feeling his eyes flick over the pages of my soul as though in a mere passing fancy. My breath came unsteadily and I felt as though I should run. I knew the look he gave me. It was that of a cat who watched a mouse trapped completely in it's power, deciding how best to eat it.

Then he opened his mouth and I flinched. That stopped him. He seemed a bit surprised at my reaction and smiled thinly down at me. I swallowed hard.

I tried to look away from him and at anything else. The gray stones beneath my feet. The high, arching windows and the banners on the walls. The dais where his throne sat. His black boots. His simple pants and shirt of brown.

But my eyes were inevitably drawn back to his and for the life of me I could not have said what color they were, only that they held power and took what they wanted from any who dared to look back.

He stroked his chin and leaned back in his throne. When he spoke, his voice was smooth and friendly.

"Child, do you know why we have called you here?"

I shook my head, still unable to look away.

That thin smile again. "Do you know who your parents are, child?"

Again, I shook my head, but harder this time.

"What is your name?"

I took a breath and tried to answer, but no sound came out. He frowned and I began to shake a bit.

"A-Aislinn," I stammered, finally finding my voice.

"Ah, so you are not mute after all," he mused, his thin smile coming back. "We called you here, Aislinn, to tell you of your parents."

I took a step forward, despite myself, curiosity getting the better of my instinct to run. His smile widened a bit, though it stayed as cold as ever, never touching his eyes.

"We are your father, Aislinn."

I frowned. I did not like this man. I surely did not want him as a father, especially considering he had never spoken to me before now. I took a step back.

"No."

He looked at me sharply. "What?"

I swallowed hard. I had put my foot in my mouth again. "I said 'no'."

He stood up and came at me almost faster than I could follow and grabbed my arm in a steel grip. His face had taken on a slightly twisted look but his voice stayed as cool as ever.

"'No' what?"

I was shaking again and I knew he was enjoying his control. When I said nothing, he shook me a bit. "Speak!"

"You are no father of mine," I managed, much more boldly than I felt.

"Why?" his voice had become a dangerous whisper, and for a moment he did not seem to see me any longer. "Cheating, filthy whore took other men to her bed then. Faithful she said? Bah! But what matters it any longer? Dead, cold and dead she is, these past seven years. No child of ours?" Suddenly his frightening, piercing gaze was back on me. "You know your father then?"

"N-no."

He shook me a bit. "Then how do you claim you are no child of ours?"

"B-because I have no father," I replied, "No mother either."

Abruptly, he released me, turning away from me, head down. His voice was a soft whisper as I stood, rooted to my spot. "No parents, no parents. Not true. We are still here, are we not? Then our child she surely is."

"Guard!" he shouted, head snapping up and causing me to jump in fright.

The guard appeared almost instantly.

"Bring us the Head of Household and the Mistress of the Chambermaids."

The guard saluted and those frozen eyes looked back to me. Silence emptier than any other I had ever heard filled the room and I began to tremble under the weight of the unblinking gaze. Seconds stretched to minutes and minutes to what seemed like hours. Not even a whisper of wind was heard through the window or a bird call as it flew overhead. It was as though the whole world had become as frozen as those eyes.

By the time the Head of Household, Steward Fallyn Cason, a nervous, older man, and the Mistress of the Chambermaids, Ashken Frauk, a bitter, middle-aged woman who hated children (but more specifically me), appeared, I was nearly in tears. The only reason for relief I had on seeing these two was that they effectively diverted those eyes and let me breath again, no matter how briefly.

He quickly instructed them on what was to be done with me and how my rooms were to be prepared. The next moment, I was being escorted out of the king's presence and frog-marched down the hall between Steward Cason and Mistress Frauk. Before I could object, Steward Cason hurried off and I was left alone with Mistress Frauk. One look up at her red, scowling, prune face made me choke down anything I had been about to say in favor of a silence which she would most likely not yell at me about.

She took me up to the hallways where the grand rooms for guests and visiting dignitaries were situated, and then past them to a wing Jasper and I had explored not three days ago during a particularly bad storm. It was an unused wing and neither of us was sure what it might be used for.

There were two maids waiting for us at one of the bigger doors. Mistress Frauk opened the door and the maids ushered me in. Maida, a slight young maid who was very friendly, winked encouragingly at me, while Eigr, a middle-aged maid who did not seem able to crack a smile lest her face crack with it, favored the two of us with a withering glance, and hurried to follow Mistress Frauk.

The three filled the tube in the washroom, which was connected to the bedroom, with hot water and made me bathe. Needless to say, I was less than thrilled. I tried to fight them, insisting that I could wash myself, but three grown women verses a seven year old girl is hardly an even match. In the end, I gave up and was scrubbed nearly raw, roughly dried, and dressed in clothes that were nicer than anything I had ever owned.

After that, having been instructed to say put, I was left alone in the new rooms. Steward Cason's people had obviously been in there while I was being washed, because everything was uncovered and dusted off. The washroom had been done up in black and gold. The bedroom was the same and I found the whole place oppressive and depressing to be in. The four poster bed was covered in black silks with gold lining and heavy black curtains were tied back with gold cord, covering the high, arching windows. There was a mahogany dresser and desk with chair. Everything was so grand I felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave as soon as I could.

I peeked out the door to the bedroom and saw a sitting room, done up to match the bathroom and washroom. I wanted nothing more than to run down to the kitchens and cling to Ruby, begging her never to make me come back here. I wished with all my heart that I would wake up and this would all be a dream.

I opened my eyes and had to face reality when I saw him.

He was sitting casually in one of the chairs of mahogany and black velvet. His eyes seared my flesh as I became like a statue. He was grinning in self-satisfaction. I hated that grin.

"We feel you will find these rooms to your liking. Our child shall have only the best." He stood and walked toward the other set of doors. "You will begin lessons tomorrow morning. No more skulking around in kitchens and hanging around that cook. It is not fit behavior for our seed."

With a parting smile that made my bones go cold, he shut the door behind him.

Horrified by what had happened, I closed the door and heard a sob escape me. Tears welled up in my eyes and I buried my head in my arms as I sank to the floor, my back against the door. I cried more tears than I knew I had in me, wanting to escape the pain and the nightmare that my life had become.


	3. I Promise

Chapter 2: I Promise

When my tears had finally stopped falling and my sobs had turned into hiccups, I lifted my head and took a shaky breath. My throat and mouth were dry and I rubbed my eyes to clear them. Slowly I stood up and made my way to the nearest window.

I fought my way through the heavy black curtain to the other side and clambered up onto the window seat (also decked out in black velvet). I pressed my face and hands against the glass and saw that it was sunny outside and nearly noon. Looking down, I saw below me one of the larger private gardens that Jasper and I had never been allowed to play in. There were several fountains around the outside, amongst the trees and vegetation, with one larger fountain in the center of it all. A high, gray stone wall covered in ivy surrounded the whole thing and I tried to see a way that Jasper and I might be able to get in.

Then I remembered what the king had said.

_"No more skulking around in kitchens and hanging around that cook. It is not fit behavior for our seed."_

If I could not be around Ruby, then surly he would never permit me to see Jasper... ever again. The thought sent me into a fit of dry sobs and hiccups though not one tear fell because it seemed I had no more tears to cry.

In the end, I sat completely still, a rare thing for me, and stared blankly out the window, afraid to leave the room for fear that the king would find out and come to me and pierce me with those terrifying eyes. I shuddered at the thought and went still again. No, better if I stayed here and he forgot I existed. Then maybe I could go back to Ruby and never have to see him again.

"Psst! Linn!"

My head whipped around to stare at the black curtains behind me. Could it be...?

"Jasper?" I asked in confusion.

"Linn!" He sounded relieved. "Where are you?"

I immediately fought my way through the curtains again and quite literally fell into Jasper's arms when my foot caught in the heavy material. The two of us tumbled to the floor in a heap of arms and legs.

We struggled to sit up and eventually managed it. I looked into Jasper's sparkling green eyes and grinning face and couldn't help but grin back. Jasper was irrepressible as always. His tousled black hair was full of dust and the rest of him, clothes, hands, and face, were covered with it as well. At nine years old, he was a few inches taller than me and very protective and loyal to those he loved.

"Linn!" he exclaimed, hugging me.

I hugged him back, never having been so grateful to see my brother in all the years I'd known him.

"Ow!" I yelped, pulling away.

"Linn? What is wrong?" he asked, concern wiping the smile from his face momentarily.

I pulled up my sleeve to see a nasty bruise was forming on my forearm in the shape of Galbatorix's hand.

"Ow," he agreed. "What happened?"

"The king grabbed my arm when I told him something he did not like."

Jasper's face darkened. "The king did this to you?"

I nodded.

"Why did he put you here? What does he want with you?"

Quietly, I explained what had happened and what Galbatorix had told me. When I was done, the two of us sat in silence for a long time. Finally Jasper asked, as if trying to deny what I had told him,

"Are you saying that you are not really my sister?"

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat.

"No. I do not believe it," said Jasper stubbornly. "I do not care who your parents are. You are my sister. You always have been and always will be."

I smiled gratefully up at him when a question dawned on me. "Jasper, how did you get in here?"

He gave me a secretive grin and hopped up, leading me to the closet which was next to the dresser. He opened it up and went to the left back corner. Pulling out a knife he had stowed in his boot, he slid it under the panel in back and pulled up on it. The panel moved enough that he could slip his fingers underneath and lift it the rest of the way up revealing one of the many passage ways that he and I often explored.

It was then that I made the connection. When he and I had been exploring we had found the adjoining passage and made a thorough search of it but we had not had time to go into any of the rooms. He must have found his way here through luck and guessing.

He motioned for me to go in and followed me, replacing the panel where it had been. I heard him moving about in the dark and then there was the hiss of a match being lit, followed by the light of a candle.

"Come on," he whispered.

I eagerly followed him. We turned corners, winding and twisting our way down to the general area of the kitchen. When we made it as far as we could, Jasper ducked out one of the entrances and I waited several minutes before he reappeared with Ruby.

"Oh my baby!" she exclaimed, seeing me.

She folded me into a warm hug and I hug her back as hard as I could. After a few moments, she pulled away a bit and said, "The king has ordered that you are to have no contact with the servants from now on, especially those from the kitchen, unless it is necessary. He has claimed you as he child and heir and says that from now on you shall be treated as such. Oh my darling!"

Here she burst into tears and hugged me again. I cried with her and Jasper put his arms around us both, trying bravely not to cry as well. Eventually, she pulled back.

"I need to go before I am missed. But you listen to me; you will always be my baby girl, understand? No matter what the king says. And I want you to do something for me. Will you?"

I nodded. "Anything."

"I want you to learn all you can. He has sent out for the best instructors that he can find so I want you to learn everything you can from them. It is very important. Work hard so that someday you can come back to me. Alright?"

I nodded again.

"Promise me."

"I promise."

She smiled tearfully down at me, kissed my forehead, and disappeared. Sadly, I followed Jasper back to my new room.

I stared bleakly around the room in which I was doomed to live from now on. Glancing down at myself I saw that I was covered in dust, just as Jasper was, and groaned. I would have to take another bath and change clothes before anyone saw me.

I sat dejectedly on the floor, a tear slipping down my face suddenly when I realized that I would not be allowed to see Ruby or Jasper for a long, long time.

"Linn, what is wrong?" asked Jasper, sitting down beside me and putting an arm around my shoulders.

I leaned my head on his shoulder saying, "I will not see you for a long time. I am scared. I have never been on my own. I do not want to be alone. What will I do without you?"

And it was true. Jasper had always been there to look out for me and protect me. Yes, he would play tricks on me and laugh at me and make fun of me, but that is what brothers do. At the end of the day, he always had my back. I had never felt so forlorn as I did now. I realized that I was truly alone.

Jasper was silent a long time and I stayed where I was, crying quietly into his shoulder. Finally he took a slow breath and let it out.

"Linn," said Jasper quietly to get my attention.

I looked to see him, face completely serious and full of sincerity.

"Linn," he said again, "I have made a decision. Since you have to be a princess now, I am going to protect you. Lots of people want to hurt royalty when there are wars and things. So I am going to protect you."

"How?" I asked.

He paused a moment to gather his thoughts before saying, "I will become your personal guard. I will train and become the best soldier in the king's army so that when he wants protection for you he will pick me because I am the best. That way we will not ever have to be separated again and I can stay by your side and protect you."

He looked down at me. "I will never leave you alone, Linn. You can count on that."

I gave him a grateful smile and rested my head on his shoulder as he put both his arms around me.

"Never forget, Linn. I will never abandon you and I will always be on your side, no matter what."

He looked down at me and smiled.

"I promise."

A/N: Sorry that this chapter is so short but the next one should be longer and we'll finally get into her training etc. I hope you enjoyed this new edition to the story and I hope you liked it enough to review and keep reading! Thanks!


	4. The First Day of the Rest of My Life

Chapter 3: The First Day of the Rest of My Life

My training began quickly the next day. Dawn came with Mistress Frauk to bathe me and lay out my clothes. I demanded that I be allowed to bathe myself and, to my surprise, she relented and left me alone.

The sun had not been up a half hour when my breakfast arrived with my first tutor.

His name was Professor Engman-Hoff. He had a pinched face, very little hair left (what was there was white), and skin that looked like old parchment left out in the summer sun too long. His body was thin and long and his voice ws reedy from age. He must have been over eighty years old.

He stalked into my rooms and set a large manuscript next to my breakfast tray, looking down his beak nose at me. His stare caused me to sink further down in my chair.

"Read this. I will quiz you on it in two hours."

"But--"

He frowned down at me. "Yeees?"

"I... cannot read," I said so quietly that his frown deepened.

"What?"

"I cannot read," I repeated, a bit louder this time.

"You _what_?" he nearly shouted, his reedy voice rising an octave. "Cannot read?"

I nodded in fearful confirmation. I did not like this man one bit. He scowled at me.

"Very well. It would seem I have no choice in the matter."

He brought out parchment, quill, and ink, quickly writing the alphabet out for me and following it up with the Elvish letters.

"Since it seems I am to teach you the basics, we may as well incorporate the elvish basics too. Copy these down one hundred times each. Begin."

I spent the rest of the morning carefully tracing each symbol as best I could. I had only made it to my twenty second time when the Professor stopped me. I dropped the quill and tried to work the cramps out of my hand.

"We will pick up here tomorrow morning. Good day your highness."

He gave me a quick bow and left. It was the first time someone had actually addressed me as 'your highness' and it made me pause to fight back tears that came with the reminder that I was now the king's daughter. I hated it.

My lunch was brought to me not a minute later and Caroline, the kitchen hand who had brought it, left quickly without a word. I swallowed hard and stared at the food in front of me. It seemed the servants had taken the king's orders to heart. Caroline had not even glanced my way.

My appetite gone, I poked at the food, staring bleakly at it, until a knock came on my door. I did not look up. The knock came again. I looked up and stared at the door until a third knock sounded.

"Come in," I called.

The door opened to reveal the Stable Master, Kevon, clad in his riding gear, gloves in one hand. His brown eyes were friendly and his blond hair was cut close to his head. He had the face and personality to charm and befriend anyone he chose because of his gentle ways and jolly laugh. He had endeared himself to most everyone in the castle because of this, including myself and every other servant's child.

"Come along then, highness," he called to me, his cheerful voice booming through the room. "Lesson time!"

I was interested despite myself. I turned a bit in my chair to see him better.

"What lessons?"

In my mind, lessons consisted of doing such things as copying down alphabets one hundred times and Kevon was most certainly no someone I could picture having me do this.

"Why, riding lessons of course! Did they not tell ye, lass?"

I shook my head, getting excited now. "You mean that I am to learn to ride? Like a soldier?"

"No," Kevon replied, suddenly serious. "Ye are to learn to ride like a princess."

I frowned, not sure that I liked the sound of that, but just then, Kevon's face broke into a grin and he winked at me.

"Once ye have mastered that, I shall teach ye how the warriors ride!"

I grinned back at him and hopped off my chair to follow him down to the stables. It was not my first time there by any means. Jasper and I had often come to beg the stable boys to let us help with the horses. On occasion, we would even plead with Kevon to let us ride the horses, though we had never prevailed on him to oblige us.

Now, I was to learn to ride after all!

Kevon began me on a gentle mare by the name of PinkCloud. She was very patient with my clumsy attempts to do as Kevon instructed when it came to riding her. Kevon, for his part, would smile gently, shake his head and tell me to try again.

His voice stayed quiet and gentle through it all and he told me it was to keep the horses calm because they could pick up on the moods of their riders. If the rider was agitated or upset, that would in turn upset the horse and make him harder to control and more easily spooked.

Kevon stopped the lesson after two hours, telling me that was enough for the day. I begged him to continue because I had finally gotten the hang of sitting properly and directing PinkCloud the right way, but he told me I was to go to my next lesson in the Practice Yard where the soldiers trained. When I asked him what I was to learn, he told me with a shrug,

"I would not know, lass, but I am sure yer instructor would. Now off with ye!"

I went and hesitantly stopped at the entrance to the Yard. A number of the palace guard and soldiers were there, practicing with various weapons, against both dummies and each other. It was several minutes before one of the soldiers noticed me and called to the instructor.

He was a towering man made of muscle with a voice to match. He wore light armor and a simple sword that he looked more than capable of using. As he jogged over to me with ease, I saw he had brown eyes set in a serious face and close cut brown hair. There was a commanding air about him that made me stand up a bit taller as he approached.

"Highness," he said respectfully, bowing with a fist to his heart. "I am Captain Khalon, of the Palace Guard. I am to instruct you in weaponry. If you will follow me?"

He led me to the Weapons Room, which was on the other end of the Practice Yard, and, unlocking the doors, ushered me in.

"Now highness, I will be teaching you how to use all the basic weapons for starters, as well as how to identify different weapons, how well they are made, and things of that nature."

I walked slowly among the racks of swords, spears, bows, arrows, daggers, dirks, pikes, maces, crossbows, axes, and various other weapons, all of different makes, sizes, and shapes, wondering how I could ever lift half of them, much less learn to use them all.

"Alright, here we are," came the Captain's voice from a row or two over.

I poked my head around a rack of arrows to see him take a well-worn dagger from its place on the wall and heft it experimentally. With a nod of satisfaction, he turned back to me.

"This will be a good weapon to begin with."

He handed me the dagger carefully and began pointing out various things about it such as how well it was made (very well), the sharpness of the blade (it glinted even in the dull light), and the balance (which was perfect), among other things. Once he had well acquainted me with the dagger, he took me outside and began showing me the proper way to hold it for different purposes. I spent the rest of the afternoon with the Captain but eventually he dismissed me to my dinner.

I went back to my room, but instead of dinner, I found Steward Cason waiting for me.

"Your Highness, he King requests that you join him for dinner this eve."

"I would rather not."

A sour frown came to his face as he said, "That is not an option... your Highness."

"But you said it was a request," I replied, confused.

"By 'request' I was politely saying 'ordered'," he said, eyes roving around the room, as though he were looking for something or someone that might jump out at him at any moment.

"Oh," I said, subdued.

Dinner with the King. I shuddered, thinking of those eyes on me all through the meal as I tried to eat. Suddenly I was not hungry anymore. Instead, I felt sick. It must have shown in my face for the next moment, Steward Cason was speaking again.

"I hope your Highness does not think to fane illness in order to avoid dinner. His Majesty does not accept such excuses."

I swallowed the bile that had risen in my throat and nodded in defeat. I had been hoping that the King would have forgotten about me as a passing fancy, but it seemed my hope was in vain. Quietly, I followed Steward Cason to the smallest dining room (which was still a very large and grand place), and he directed me to sit to the right of the head chair. I sat like a statue, waiting, just waiting.

Time passed and eventually, the doors opened to admit all the grandness and majesty that was Galbatorix, King of Alegesia.

I stood up in surprise because, until now, I had never seen this side of him before. He was wearing splendid crimson robes, shining black boots, and a gold crown rested on his neat brown hair, which was pulled back and tied. His face was regal and I finally registered his eye color. They were the deepest black imaginable, like pieces of black hole, permanently set in his face. He stalked to the high back chair next to me and sat, not even glancing my way. He waved for the food to be brought in and suddenly turned a genuinely smiling face on me.

"How was our daughter's day?"

I was so shocked by this new man before me that at first I did not realize that he was speaking to me.

"Aislinn?" he prodded gently after a moment's silence.

"I am sorry your Majesty," I said sincerely, snapping out of my shock. "What was your question?"

His smile gentled, along with his eyes, and he repeated the question for me.

"It was fine your Majesty."

"Aislinn, you may call us father."

I felt myself begin to smile back a little. Perhaps this man was not so bad after all. It would be nice to have a father. However, I just could not bring myself to say it for some reason. Something deep down in me did not like it.

I nodded. "Of course your Majesty."

He gave me an amused smile as the food arrived and we ate in comfortable silence for a time. As dinner came to a close, the servants began taking the plates away. One of the younger ones, a girl of sixteen or so, tripped and the trays she was carrying went flying across the room, spilling left over food everywhere.

There was a collective gasp from the servants in the room, everyone of which immediately stopped moving, and the King's face froze. Slowly, he turned to the girl who lay trembling on the floor.

"You," his voice was a soft hiss, like a snake. "Clean every bit of that up spotlessly."

He paused and no one moved.

"Now!" his voice snapped like a serpent's strike.

The girl began scrambling after the trays and food, running to the kitchen and coming back for more. As she picked up the last of the mess, looking ready to fall over herself to get out of the King's presence, his voice froze her quicker than any spell ever could have.

"Stop."

I saw her trembling.

"Leave the rest of those for the others to finish. You, go stand over there," he indicated a spot about half way down the table on the opposite side from me.

She crept to her designated place and stood, visibly shaking.

"Guard!" the King's whip-strike voice sounded, causing the girl to flinch violently.

Galbatorix did not even spare her a glance as the guard appeared.

"Send for the Captain. Tell him to bring his whip."

The guard saluted and hurried off. Several tense minutes passed in unbroken silence. Finally, Captain Khalon arrived, whip in hand, face emotionless as he surveyed the room.

"Ah, Captain," greeted Galbatorix, rising and coming to stand behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. I suppressed a shudder at his touch and looked at the Captain, horror filling me as I realized what the King had in mind. Surely not. Khalon was a good man; he would never beat helpless girl, no matter his orders.

"Captain, twenty lashes," Galbatorix said, pointing to the girl. "And do not slack off."

The girl broke down sobbing and threw herself onto her knees.

"Please my Lord! Please! Have mercy! It will never happen again! I swear it!"

The King looked down at her as though he were considering her words. Then he said softly, "Yes, you are correct. You will never do it again. Because the next time will be sixty lashes instead of twenty." He looked to the Captain. "Proceed."

The girl began yelling as two of the guards held her face down on the floor. "No! No my Lord! Please have mercy! I beg you! Please!"

Captain Khalon looked to the King who merely said, "Get on with it, Captain."

I saw Khalon swallow hard before he took a breath and raised his whip. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see any of this. I wanted to block out her screaming, but I dared not move because the King still held my shoulders firmly.

Four lashes.

Five.

Galbatorix leaned down and whispered in my ear.

Six.

"Open your eyes, my daughter, and watch carefully."

Seven.

The pressure of my shoulders was almost painful now and I was forced to open my eyes.

Eight.

I wanted to run away.

Nine.

Her cries kept getting louder.

Ten.

I wanted to cry with her.

Eleven.

I choked them down, fear gripping me.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Her cries were lessening now.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Galbatorix's hands kept getting tighter on my shoulders.

Eighteen.

Nineteen.

I was almost in tears.

Twenty.

Captain Khalon stopped, breathing hard with the effort of staying emotionless and I swallowed, feeling sick, as the King released me and took his seat again.

The girl's back was covered in blood and the skin was nearly flayed off of her. I feared how badly she was hurt and I wanted to rush over to her, but one sidelong glance at the King and I knew who would be next under the whip if I did. Galbatorix snapped his fingers and the guards took the girl away as gently as they dared, leaving the Captain standing stiffly at attention, as though he were made of stone.

"That will be all Captain," yawned Galbatorix, waving the man away.

Khalon saluted, hand to heart, with frozen movements, and departed, leaving me alone with the King. I fixed my eyes firmly on the table before me, silently praying he would dismiss me as well or, better yet, simply walk away and forget about me.

"It grows late, daughter of ours. You should retire to your rooms and we will do the same."

He rose and came to me. I froze, my stomach twisting in knots of fear. He leaned down and gently kissed the top of my head, whispering, "Goodnight," in the most fatherly, loving voice imaginable.

I looked up at him to see him beaming down at me again, his eyes full of love and caring. He moved grandly away from me and then he was gone.

I gasped for air, not realizing that I had been holding my breath until that moment. I jumped up and ran, horror at what I had just discovered ringing through my mind and terror gripping me, making my blood run cold.

I ran and ran and ran as though if I ran enough, I could escape this insanity. I did not stop running until I reached the rooms I had been told were now mine, knowing and terrified of what could happen if I went to Ruby and Jasper now. In those rooms, I huddled down in the furthest corner, hugging myself as I rocked and cried.

If I had not feared the King before tonight, I did now, without any hesitation. Tonight I had been shown firsthand what he could and would do, simply because the mood took him. I had seen how swift his mood could change from love to pure cruelty and I now realized what a dangerous man had claimed me as his child. Now I knew if I displeased him he could just as easily kill me as he could gently reprimand me. I knew, suddenly, how much danger I would be in from now on. And I knew that I could never call a man like that 'father'.

The King was completely, utterly, and undeniably insane.

I decided then, as I cried and rocked and hugged myself, huddled in that corner of rooms that would never truly be mind, that I would work to protect myself from him. I would study and train my hardest to get back to Ruby and, now, to simply stay alive.

Yes, now I knew. Today was merely the beginning-- the first day of the rest of my life.

And I cried all the harder for it.

A/N: Three chapters and a prologue and the only Eragon character in here is Galbatorix. How sad is that? I do promise things will get better though, okay? This chapter is about double the length of the last one so yeah for me! I hope you enjoyed and that you will review because reviews really do make my day! Til next time.


	5. Interlude One

A/N: Apologies for the delay. I couldn't decide where to put this first interlude and wether or not I wanted it this way or not. So many questions over such a short piece to the story, aye? Oh well. I finally decided to put it up so you wouldn't give up hope on me entirely. I'm working on the next chapter and I technically already have it written, but transferring from paper to computer is such a pain. It should be up soon... I hope. I will do my best though. In the meantime, enjoy this very short addition to The Shadow Child.

Interlude One

_I slam my fist against the window sill, remembering, and yelp in pain. He gives me an concerned look and gently inspects my hands as I bite back a string of unpleasant words._

_My hands are an ugly black-blue-purple now from beating them raw during my fit. I sigh and he gives me a reproachful look before muttering quietly,_

_"Waise heill."_

_I grin sheepishly at him as I feel the pain recede and my hands heal._

_"Thank you."_

_He shakes his head. "Remember to take care of yourself, Linn. None of us want to lose you."_

_I catch the other meaning behind his words and frown._

_"I do not wish to speak of this again."_

_"Linn--"_

_"No," I interrupt him. "You and I have debated this through the heavens and to the ends of the world. The topic is closed."_

_He frowns in return._

_"I still do not believe you are making the correct decision. Will you not reconsider?"_

_"'Reconsider'?" I repeat quietly, sad smile replacing my frown. "For how long? A year? Two? Centuries? A millennia? How many times? A dozen? A hundred? A thousand? Or a million?" I laugh slightly. "Do you not see? That would entirely defeat my purpose."_

_"But not mine," he points out gently._

_I stare at him for a long moment, lost in my own thoughts. I never should have told him. I knew he would try to stop me. I should have not even bothered telling anyone and gone along with my own plans. I sigh. There is no help for it now though. He knows and that is the end of that._

_However, I am not about to let him change my mind, though he may think he can._

_He opens his mouth to continue in the face of my silence and I do not wish to hear any more on the subject just now._

_"Enough," I say, cutting him off. "Would you debate this with me or hear what I have to say while I may still say it?"_

_He pauses and then sighs in defeat, knowing that I am right. He nods for me to continue and I give him a small smile._

_"Very well..."_


	6. Good, Bad, and New Lessons

Chapter 4: Good, Bad, and New Lessons

The next morning, my shoulders were badly bruised from the previous night and I was not just stiff from falling asleep in the corner of the room, but my throat, mouth, and eyes were dry from crying myself to sleep. Mistress Frauk appeared with a knock on my bedroom door, coming in without waiting for me to answer. She silently took clothes from my dresser and closet, laying them out neatly on the bed. I watched her, not moving, and when she was done, she stood facing me, just as silently.

I looked up at her, trying to swallow around the dryness in my throat and mouth.

"Well?" she asked briskly, pausing before she added, "Your Highness."

"I... could you... do you... have anything for bruises?" I asked. I knew Ruby had a salve for bruises and cuts and since I could not get to Ruby, Mistress Frauk was the only one who might be able to help me. She gave me a sour look.

"I am sure her highness's _minor_ injuries will be fine."

There was scorn and an edge of anger in her voice that even I had never heard before. I wondered at the reason for her upset mood this morning and thought back to the previous night. I had seen that girl somewhere before, but where? Then it dawned on me. Of course!

Mistress Frauk turned away and I jumped up, wincing at the pain of the sudden movement, and managed to croak out after her,

"Kainda was not the only one hurt last night."

That caused her to pause at the door and she turned back to me, frowning.

"May I ask what her highness means to say?" Her voice was crisp but still full of anger.

"I could not do anything to help her Mistress Frauk," I continued. "But she was not the only one hurt."

Carefully I reached up and slipped off my top, wincing again at the pain. Mistress Frauk's eyes widened a bit when she saw the bruises on my shoulders and arm.

"I am sorry your daughter was hurt, but I would have fared no better."

"Your highness," Mistress Frauk whispered, coming back and kneeling down in front of me. After a moment's examination, she asked, still whispering, "The King did this to you?"

I nodded. "I did not want to watch her beat but he forced me to."

"Your highness, I had no idea. I am so sorry."

"It is not your fault."

She sighed and pursed her lips.

"Highness, go bathe. I will be back shortly."

With that she disappeared out my bedroom door and I did as she instructed, taking longer than normal because I had to move more slowly to keep from causing myself more pain. In the end I managed it and by the time that happened, Mistress Frauk was back with the salve. She carefully rubbed it on my bruises and then helped me dress.

When I was ready to face the Professor, Mistress Frauk took one last look at me and did something I had never seen her do, much less to me.

She smiled.

I was so shocked I smiled back as a reflex, but once it dawned on me that she was indeed smiling at _me_, my smile became genuine. Then she was gone and the Professor stood in her place, frowning at having been kept waiting.

"Now highness, if you are _quite_ ready," he said, motioning impatiently for me to take my seat.

I did and began in again on the alphabets, though I had to go slower due to the bruises on my shoulders. Unfortunately, the Professor was not a patient man.

"Your highness," he suddenly burst out after the first hour of me having only gotten through the two alphabets four times, "You are not even trying! Why should I waste my time with you further? We are through until you decide you truly wish to learn from me."

And with that he stalked out, leaving me alone and bewildered. I looked after him for a moment and then sighed heavily. If the King found out, I did not want to know what would happen to myself and the Professor. Most likely, the Professor would keep quite about it until some point in the future when he could be assured of not getting in trouble for leaving the King's daughter alone in the middle of her lessons.

However, despite what the Professor thought, I did want to learn what he had to teach. These things were power. I could feel it ever time I wrote the elvish alphabet and I wanted to know if I could use that power because I wanted it for myself. Therefore, I continued on my steady, if slow, pace, ignoring the fact that I was now on my own. If the Professor could not deal with the pace I was forced to because of my injuries, I would teach myself until I knew every symbol by heart.

I lost track of time, tracing the symbols over and over again. I was so engrossed in my work that at first I did not hear Kevon calling for me. It took him actually putting a hand on my shoulder to get my attention. I snapped out of my trance-like state with a jolt, nearly spilling ink across my almost complete page.

"Kevon!" I said in surprise.

"It is time fer yer lesson, lass," he told me, almost apologetically.

"Oh. Alright."

I left my writing things where they were and followed Kevon down to the stable yards for my lesson. Two hours later I was on my way to my lessons with Captain Khalon.

I was not sure how I felt about the Captain just then. He had beaten Kainda last night, as the King ordered, and the King was wrong to have her punished like that. However, if the Captain had not done as ordered, he would have ended up under the lash himself, and in all likelihood would have lost his position. It would have ruined his whole life, but he hurt an innocent girl to save himself. That was wrong, was it not? So was the Captain good or bad? He was following the King, who was bad, but the Captain seemed like a good person, so which was it?

With my naive mind spinning, I reached the practice yard where the Captain spotted me almost immediately. He beckoned me over with a wave of his hand and I went, my mind still occupied by the looming question. He began instructing me again, but I soon lost the train of his lecture until he snapped,

"Highness!"

I visibly jumped, my eyes meeting his for the first time that day, and he gave me an annoyed frown.

"You are not listening. Where is your head?"

My eyes widened slightly and I opened my mouth to respond before I had even considered my next words.

"Captain Khalon, are you a bad person or a good one?"

He blinked at me, surprised by my question. "I am not sure what Her Highness means to say," he replied carefully.

I swallowed, not wanting to try and explain myself, but I knew that it would be a useless attempt on my part if I tried to get around the topic, especially since I was the one who had brought it up. I took a deep breath and met his gaze.

"I do not think you are a bad person," I began slowly, "But yesterday, you followed the orders of the King, and they were bad. So does that make you good because you are a nice person, or bad because you followed the orders of the King?"

His eyes widened a bit, and he glanced around quickly to make sure no one else was within hearing distance. Then he grabbed my arm, though not roughly, ignoring my yelp of pain, and hurried me to the weapons room, closing the door behind us. Making sure no one else was there, he squatted so that he was at eye level with me, and took hold of my arms so that I had to face him.

"Your Highness," he said, his voice almost a whisper, "I am not a bad person. I do not believe the King was right in what he ordered. You believe he was wrong, do you not?"

I nodded.

"And what do you think of the King himself? Is he bad?"

"No," I replied quietly, locking eyes with him, seeing a mix of strange emotions there. "The King is not bad. He is evil."

That took him back a bit and caused a hint of a smile tug at the corners of his lips. "Your Highness is a very smart six year old."

"Seven," I shot back, standing up a bit straighter.

"My apologies," he said with a nod. "However, I must warn you, do not speak of this to anyone else. The King will not stand for this kind of talk if he hears of it. It could put us both in great danger."

"Would we be beaten?"

He looked at me sadly. "Worse than that, I fear. To say the King is evil is treason, for which the penalty is death. Neither of us would last out the day if we were discovered to be saying such things."

"So, you believe the King is evil, too?"

He nodded briefly.

"Then... why did you follow his orders? They were bad and you knew it. If you are good, you should not have done what he wanted."

A pained look crossed his face and he sighed. "Sometimes, Your Highness, there are sacrifices that must be made for the greater good. For that good, I could not risk loosing the trust of the King. I must remain close to him in order to save the lives of many. I will live with the choice I made and the consequences of it for the rest of my life."

I shook my head. "I still do not understand."

He sighed again, pursing his lips in thought as he looked at me. "For now, that is fine. As long as you remember not to speak of these things to anyone but me, and only when we are alone, then someday I will try to help you better understand. Agreed?"

"So, you are not a bad person, Captain?" I asked, just to make sure I had at least gotten my original question answered.

"No, Highness, I am not a bad person."

I nodded. "Alright."

He nodded once and stood up again, leading me out of the weapons room.

"Will you be able to focus on the lesson now Highness?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Good. Now, we will try this again."

Several hours passed quickly, full of stances, manuvers, and positions, until the Captain called a halt for the day. It was then that another thought occurred to me.

"Um, Captain?"

"Yes, Highness?"

"I was wondering... would you... be willing to train someone else? In your spare time, perhaps?"

He looked at me curiously. "Who does Her Highness have in mind?"

"Jasper."

"And who might he be?"

"My brother. He is Cook Ruby's son. He is two years older than me and he wants to become a soldier. Would you train him? Please?"

Captain Khalon looked down at me thoughtfully for a moment before nodding once. "I will talk to this... Jasper and we will see. Will that suit Her Highness for the present?"

I nodded eagerly. "Yes! Thank you, Captain!"

He smiled warmly down at me before sending me back to my room. Again, Steward Carson was waiting for me, his nervous eyes darting around the room. I quickly washed up and changed into something nicer, before following Steward Carson docilely to the dining room where I had eaten the previous evening.

I wanted to run.

Restraining myself was almost as hard as sitting down and waiting for the King to appear. I closed my eyes to block out everything as the servants bustled around me, setting out trays of food and drinks. I did not want to be there, but I was afraid of what would happen if I refused to eat with Galbatorix.

Was this how Captain Khalon had felt last night? Afraid of what the King would do when faced with refusal? Terrified of what would happen to him if he said no? But then, what was that 'greater good' he had been talking about? That only confused me more.

Just then, the double doors flew open and Galbatorix stalked in, dressed a bit more simply today in dark blue, a billowing, lighter blue cape thrown over his shoulders. He wore brown riding boots and a simple golden crown graced his head. He looked none too happy, and my breathing sped up a bit in fear.

I wanted to disappear.

Then he caught sight of me, and the dark cloud that seemed to be hovering around him dissipated. Inwardly, I gave a relieved sigh, as he smiled a bit, taking his seat to my left. It seemed that as long as I did nothing that might upset him, Galbatorix was more or less happy to see me. For now, that is.

Dinner was once again a silent affair, and, though the food was delicious, I could not say what it was or what I ate. My mind was on not inadvertently doing something to upset the insane King eating not two feet from me.

I wanted to be anywhere by there.

Suddenly, his eyes were on me and I was riveted to my chair. Slowly, my eyes met his, and he smiled.

"So, how was our daughter's day?"

"Fine, Your Majesty," came my quiet, docile reply as I dropped my gaze.

"Good," he nodded. "We are pleased to hear this. What of your training? How does it go?"

"Well, Your Majesty. I enjoy learning and my instructors are very good."

"Excellent," he murmured. He continued staring at me and I forced myself to take a bite of whatever was on my plate. I could almost feel his eyes burning my skin, trying see right through me. My eyes remained fixed on my plate.

I wanted to scream.

"I think it is time we added another lesson. What does our daughter think?" the King asked easily.

I licked my lips and took a slow breath before saying quietly, "If His Majesty believes I am up to learning more, then I will gladly set myself to whatever new lesson he desires."

A grin tugged at his lips as he watched me a moment longer. "Very well, daughter of ours, a new lesson you shall have. We will be your new instructor and your lessons will begin tonight. What does our daughter say?"

I bowed my head, saying, "I look forward to what His Majesty will teach me." I paused, took a breath, and threw caution to the wind, daring to ask the question. "And... what will His Majesty be teaching me?"

Galbatorix threw his head back, laughing loudly. Suddenly, his laughter died, and his eyes were back on me. He leaned forward a bit, face alight with something... a mix of things-- insanity, power, excitement, and... _something_ else that was a bit unsettling.

I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry, and took a sip of whatever was in my goblet in a vain attempt to alleviate my abrupt inability to get words past my tongue and teeth. The King smiled at me.

"Are you finished?"

Dumbly, I nodded.

"Good. We will begin your new lesson immediately." He stood. "Come. It is time you learned the most important lesson of all."

"What's that?" I croaked, though the King did not seem to notice the strangeness of my voice.

He looked down at me, surprise flashing across his face.

"Why magic of course!"

A/N: Guess what? Next chapter we introduce another Eragon character! Yeah! Everybody do the Happy Dance! So, care to guess which character it's gonna be? It's gonna be mucho mucho fun! I can't wait! However, I must warn you that I still haven't quite worked out all the kinks for the chapter yet, so I can't say how long it'll be before I update. I'm hoping it will be soon. So, please review so I'll fell guilty for not updating if it takes me too long! Till the next chapter!

Dreamsong


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